As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Mercutio: "If love be rough with you, be rough with love.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that if love treats you harshly, you should respond in kind.
In this quote from Mercutio in Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', the speaker implies that love can be a challenging and tumultuous experience. Instead of passively accepting the difficulties that love brings, one should confront those challenges boldly and with an equal intensity. It conveys a message about the nature of love as something that requires both strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
Themes
LoveAdversityStrengthResilienceChallenge
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could inspire someone going through a tough breakup to stand their ground and assert themselves.
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